Tension has sparked in Nollywood as actor Timini Egbuson publicly countered film director and writer Biodun Stephen over a controversial Instagram post.
On Thursday, January 9, Biodun Stephen took to Instagram to appeal to her YouTube audience, urging them to support movies featuring emerging actors rather than solely gravitating toward productions with their favorite stars. She emphasized her desire to nurture new talents in the industry but lamented that audience preferences often hinder this goal.
She wrote:
“YouTube audience, I salute you. Can I beg you for something this new year? Producers need to help new actors, and YouTube is the one place we are able to introduce new faces. We can’t do that if you only click on the films that carry your favs. You need to add to your favs and the only way is if you give that film a chance. This 2025, help us discover new stars.”
While many resonated with her plea, a follow-up post didn’t sit well with Timini Egbuson. In the now-deleted post, Stephen addressed “YouTube Actors,” calling for them to “breathe, inhale, and exhale,” and hinted at frustrations with how the term is perceived in the industry.
Egbuson, clearly irked by the label, fired back, stating, “What’s a YouTube actor? An actor is an actor.”
Following the backlash, Stephen deleted the post and clarified that her intentions were misunderstood. This exchange has since fueled conversations about labels in Nollywood and the challenges of supporting emerging talent in a competitive industry.
